Tag Archives: dental hygiene

What I often read on other blogs are reviews, reviews about products the blogger likes or uses himself. So what could I review on this blog? Let’s start with stuff I use on a daily basis.

Like many people my age my teeth are a major concern. To many cavities and substandard maintenance. Jealously I look at those young American people with their perfect teeth. A couple of years one of my molars acted up. The dentist said a neighboring molar had a too much exposed root and the dentist suggested a root canal treatment. Or a visit to a dental hygienist.

The dental hygienist gave me a couple of good tips on how to prevent discomfort and do a better job in dental maintenance. The first was very simple, use a different toothpaste. One with an active component which protects exposed roots a bit. The one recommended and which I use now for a while is Sensodyne Complete protection. Works like a charm. No root canal treatment necessary.

Brushing isn’t enough, you should also use floss and toothpicks. Flossing I already did for quite some years. But it was always a fight with that damn rope. Either it was not smooth enough, or the thread was to thick, or it started to shred right between the teeth. Did I find a good product, after a year it was discontinued. Now I’m using a brand and a type of floss which will be available for quite a while; Oral-b. The floss is smooth, doesn’t shred or gets stuck. I always keep a spare roll, to make sure I won’t run out.

Toothpicks I never really liked. I thought flossing should sufficient. But the dentist kept on nagging on using them. After my visit to the dental hygienist I started using Jordan toothpicks, the flat version. They have them pretty thin and when wet the picks a quite flexible. I need a thin one to get really good through the gaps. Which they do very well. As with the floss I can’t live without toothpicks anymore.

There is one gap which needs a little bit more attention. And that is the root of the molar is a bit too much exposed. It really is erosion on the side of the molar. The way to clean it is to use those little brushes. I use 2.5 mm diameter brushes on the advise of the dental hygienist. Th idea is that with floss and toothpicks you can clean quite enough.

Electric is the way I brush and here the dental hygienist had also a tip. Don’t use the electric brush as if it was a manual toothbrush. Just slowly move the head of the brush along the surfaces of your teeth while applying light pressure. For about 2 minutes. Which brand I use you asked? Well, the gadget is from Braun, the removable brush is from Oral-b. There’s not much to say really, Braun and Oral-b are solid brands. Although I think their more fancy products are a bit overkill.

So what has all this dental hygiene gained for me? No cavities anymore and way less toothache. At my age and with the poor state of my teeth I need to watch out. But I don’t have that much agony anymore.